Brise cleans the polluted air you breath in every day

February 22, 2018

“It is our mission to provide everyone with healthy air”, says Kerwin Chang, one of the founders of Brise Care. The useful device collects a wealth of data about air quality. “Remember that you can choose what you eat, but you have no choice when it comes to the air you breathe.”

Kevin, how would you describe Brise in one tweet?

“Brise is a device that improves the air quality by analyzing the air in a room using Artificial Intelligence. By the way, you pronounce Brise as ‘breeze’.”

What does Brise exactly do?

“More and more people suffer from allergies, asthma, and COPD. Especially for them we have developed an intelligent air cleaner. The cleverness lies in the application of AI. With this, we expose a large amount of information, for example: the extent to which the air is polluted, the humidity, the amount of pollen and dust, and more. These will all have a major influence on your health, which Brise responds to with the provision of accurate, smart and quick insights on what is done with the air around you. ”

How do you obtain this information with AI?

“The Brise C200, the air cleaner, has four built-in sensors (particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, temperature and air humidity). These sensors are the basis of the AI. The knowledge from experts in the field of indoor environment, scientists and medical professionals is taken from the cloud. Together, this ensures that you as a user can fine-tune the Brise air cleaner to your personal situation and lifestyle.”

What is you mantra?

“It is better to prevent than to cure. Everyone must be able to take a deep breath without harmful consequences. We want to contribute to this. ”

What does Brise look like? And of which parts form the device?

“The C200 has an elegant IoT design and consists mainly of a brushless DC motor, filters, and an LED UV lamp. With its 31 × 21 × 45 centimeters, it fits easily into any interior. The weight is about five kilos, which makes moving and lifting easy. All Brise models carry the German TÜV certificate, indicating a high degree of safety.

How did the idea for Brise arise and who were there from the start?

”My children have hay fever and other allergies. The whole family of my German friend Ulrich Pabst experiences respiratory problems. And former expat in the Netherlands Albert Lee – and his son – also have various allergies and hay fever. Although we live in Taiwan, Germany and the Netherlands respectively, health problems brought us together. ”

What did you do then?

“Ulrich used an air cleaner, which did not work as desired. The device showed only a small number of the many factors that influence the air you breathe. That was the moment when he knocked on my door. He wanted to help others, besides his loved ones, with an intelligent product that would counteract the various aspects of air pollution.”

Who are Brise’s customers?

“Our primary and largest customer group consists of people experiencing problems with their airways, or patients who suffer from asthma, COPD and allergies. These complaints arise at an early age and are influenced not only by what you eat, but also by the air in your environment.”

And what are the other target groups?

“People who are conscious about air quality, even if they do not have respiratory problems. Also, young, highly educated people who are open to new and preventive technologies. Finally, I can mention a very specific group: medical pedicures. They often work in small spaces and are faced with many fungi, chemicals and dust. Brise would be a significant improvement to them.”

Is there any competition?

“When we talk about air-cleaning solutions, yes. For example, Philips has a major brand on the market, namely Dyson. Just like the well-known vacuum cleaners that clean floors and other surfaces, there is also a Dyson that filters animal dander, industrial emissions, formaldehyde and benzene out of the air.”

What makes Brise unique?

“Brise has four sensors; you can set up the machine and the sensors for a specific room. Think of the size, the degree of pollution – inside and outside – and pets. Brise machines can also work together. If one of them detects a certain odor, it counteracts that odor and the other machine is informed to prevent the odor from spreading. These factors make Brise more unique and effective than competitors.”

What else makes Brise unique?

“You’ve got the opportunity to read the data, so that the remaining lifespan is shared with you. And the data about your living environment can be used for more future purposes, such as a treatment program.”

How does your business model/revenue model look like?

“It is based on the sale of the product itself and the filter. The replacement period of this depends on the use and the contamination; however, the Brise displays its exact timeframe so you can immediately respond to this. Our market price is €489, -, the basic filter costs €49, -. Pricey perhaps, but remember that you can choose what you eat, but that you have no choice when it comes to the air you breathe.”

What is currently on the agenda?

“In the long run, we want to have as much data as possible, so that we can provide hospitals and clinics with this data. In the coming months we want to launch even more products, such as an air meter that is better than the alternatives offered by the government. Ours will work independently or together with the C200. In case of poor air quality, the meter sends direct signals to the Brise. We’re also developing a spirometer that can help COPD patients.”

How did your participation to the Accenture Innovation Awards help you?

“Last year, the Accenture Innovation Awards came too early for us and I did not pay enough attention to it. First and foremost, because it was at the same time as our Kickstarter project. But I see the benefits of the program and there is a good chance that I will register Brise again this year. We have grown as a company and have a better story now. In this way, I hope to gain insights that will raise our company and our products to a higher level. A program like the Innovation Awards can contribute to this.”

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